We will be conducting a fun run or walk to honor Veterans, on Veterans Day Weekend, Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025.

Participants can run or walk in beautiful Hampton Park, Charleston, SC, or they can participate virtually at the time and place of their choosing.

All registrants will receive BOTH a long sleeve SHIRT and a MEDAL commemorating the event. IN ADDITION, the first 250 folks registered for the on-site event will receive a BLANKET, custom EMBROIDERED for the event. (Blankets will not be mailed to virtual participants.) Participants at the event in Hampton Park will pick up their shirts, blankets and medals at the event. Virtual participants will receive their shirts and medals by mail (to a US, APO or FPO address). TO BE GUARANTEED A SHIRT AND MEDAL , YOU MUST REGISTER NO LATER THAN OCTOBER 8, 2025.

For the event in Hampton Park, we will mark off a distance of 5k (going around the park 3 times) but participants can run or walk a shorter or longer distance, if they choose. There will be no awards or timed results, but we plan to have a time clock at the finish line so participants can note their finish times. Hampton Park is closed to traffic during the event.

Virtual participants can run or walk a 5k distance (or shorter, or longer) distance at a time and place of their choosing, and will not need to submit any information about when they walked or ran the 5k, or how long it took them. They can, of course, post their results on whatever social media they would like. It may take a month, or more, for the virtual participants to receive their shirts, depending on the number of people who register for the virtual option. The virtual option allows you to show your support of our veterans, and get a shirt and medal commemorating your participation, without traveling to Charleston's Hampton Park that morning.

PLEASE DONATE TO HELP OUR VETERAN COMMUNITY. Everyone -- whether you register for the event or not -- can donate to our veteran causes. Donors can honor a veteran: with a flag (4 in by 6 in) with a donation of $10 or more; or with a large sign (2 ft by 1.5 ft) with a donation of $30 or more. For the flag or sign, you will be able to make your donation in honor of, or in memory of, the name of a veteran. That veteran's name will then be put on the flag or sign. The flags will be placed together prominently at the event; the signs will be displayed, individually and prominently, along the course. Participants at the event can pick up their flags there. To make any donation (in any amount, for a flag, sign, or otherwise) to support our veterans, please click on the DONATE icon at the top of this page.

* WHEN

* November 8, 2025 at 9AM

* WHERE

* Hampton Park, 30 Mary Murray Drive, Charleston, South Carolina 29403

* WHY

Many Low Country veterans are in need of food and other basic essentials. There are about 2,500 veterans living below the poverty line in Charleston, and one out of every five Low Country residents getting food at local food banks is a veteran. Further, over 11% of veterans, from ages 18 to 64, report food insecurity; that's more than twice the rate for non-veterans. Recently, these problems have worsened for our veterans, as government programs have been cut and inflation has risen.

Many local veterans also need support for their mental well-being. Multiple deployments and other stresses of military service have left many veterans with invisible wounds: injuries to their mental health. The rate of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among soldiers is nearly 15 times higher than the rate for civilians. For veterans currently leaving military service, it is estimated that: 30% have, or will have, PTSD symptoms; 20% suffered a traumatic brain injury; and 10% have an addiction to substances. These invisible wounds, often combined with the financial difficulties described above, have led to an alarming rate of homelessness and suicide within our veteran community. The homeless rate for veterans is twice that of non-veterans, and the suicide rate is 1.5 times greater than that of non-veterans. About 22 veterans commit suicide a day, and nearly three quarters are not under VA care. Since 9/11, the number of veterans our country has lost to suicide is more than 4 times greater than the number of combat deaths.

This Veterans Day 5k event will help Low Country veterans who need -- and deserve -- our support. Proceeds from this event will go to organizations that provide direct support to Low Country veterans: the Lowcountry Veterans organization; a local veteran scholarship; and the Food Pantry at the Charleston VA Medical Center. Lowcountry Veterans provides transitional housing to homeless veterans in the Charleston area, housing up to 300 veterans each year in a drug and alcohol-free environment. It also provides food and transportation, and facilitates educational and employment opportunities, to help veterans find stable employment and housing. The scholarship fund will support educational opportunities for Lowcountry veteran families. The VA Food Pantry provides and distributes food to local veterans, and advises on nutrition and health.

Just as important as the financial support, this Veterans Day 5k provides moral support; it sends a message to all of our local veterans that Charleston cares for, values and honors them. With this event, we can help to heal the invisible wounds to our veterans' morale by showing them that they matter to us, and by increasing awareness of these wounds. At the event, participants can learn more about these invisible wounds, how to assess the risk of suicide, and how to get help for veterans at risk of hunger, homelessness or suicide.

If you have any questions or concerns about the 5k, please feel free to call Lisa Deaton at 843-224-7878.